The invention relates to a device for transferring an electric or electronic component to a mounting board; and more particularly to such a device comprising a suction tube for picking up the component, and gripping means with two pairs of jaws for aligning and centering the component. The suction tube is usually movable axially with respect to the gripping means.
The device is particularly suitable for transferring very small electric or electronic components of a prismatic shape without connection wires having dimensions of the order of up to a few millimeters. These are commonly called chip-type components. These components are supplied in a packaged state, for example, in tubular magazines or in strip-shaped supports. The transferring device picks up a component, transports it to a mounting board and positions it on the board.
It is known to center the electric or electronic component with respect to the suction tube by operating the two pairs of jaws simultaneously. However, difficulties can arise in centering the component. An angular rotation of the component cannot be readily eliminated because the component then cannot rotate freely. Centering of the component in one direction can be adversely affected by a simultaneous centering in another direction. Moreover, the dimensions of the known device are comparatively large and the construction is complicated. This device is therefore not suitable to place several components simultaneously near each other on a mounting board.